An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles International AirPort (LAX) in Los Angeles, California on March 6, 2024.
Daniel Slim | Afp | Getty Images
The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation Alaska Airlines Incident in which a door panel exploded in mid-air two months ago, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Citing documents and people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said investigators had contacted passengers, pilots and flight attendants on Flight 1282 on Jan. 5 en route from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, where part of the plane crashed in the middle of the flight The air was torn away and the crew was forced to make an emergency landing.
The investigation would help the DOJ review whether Boeing complied with an earlier settlement of a federal investigation into two deadly 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, the Journal said.
“In such a case, it is normal for the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation,” an Alaska Airlines spokesman said. “We are cooperating fully and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”
The DOJ declined to comment. Boeing did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft flown from Alaska have resumed regular service after being grounded for inspections. Alaska and United Airlines, the two U.S. airlines that fly the Max 9, canceled thousands of flights in January after the incident.
Three passengers are suing Boeing and Alaska Airlines for $1 billion in damages, accusing Boeing and Alaska Airlines of negligence for allegedly ignoring warning signs.
Alaska Airlines previously estimated that the weeks-long grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 will cost the airline $150 million.
– Read the original WSJ story here.
—CNBC’s Rebecca Picciotto contributed reporting.
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2024-03-09 20:45:30
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